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FineMiracle
May 17th, 2017, 12:44 PM
Has anyone tried putting wet conditioner on their dry hair? Did/does it work better than wet on wet? Right now I'm trying to get a knot out but instead of wetting it and then putting the co on, I just put the co straight on. I'm really scientifically illiterate when it comes to hair so forgive me if this is a dumb question! xD

likelikepenny
May 17th, 2017, 01:30 PM
I find putting conditioner on wet hair is better as the water activates to product, making the knot slip out easier.

lapushka
May 17th, 2017, 02:05 PM
Well, if you're going to be washing your hair, it's going to need to get wet anyway. Unless you just want to put the conditioner on and then let it dry (that's not really going to work). As a pre-poo you can do both, use it on dry hair, then wet it and shampoo, or wet the hair first. But if you're just washing it, of course, on wet hair. If that makes sense...

meteor
May 17th, 2017, 02:17 PM
If we are talking really badly matted/knotted hair, I would actually avoid water in most situations with 1b hair, because I find water helps "set" the existing knots in place a bit. I start off by detangling on dry as much as possible (with fingers, Afro pick, wide-tooth comb, maybe even a needle or a toothpick) and then follow up with a tiny amount of slippery silicone serum in strategic places only and immediately try to work the knots out. I'd wet-detangle later, if needed, but not when there are serious knots in 1b hair. If you let any significant amount of product dry up in hair (e.g. conditioner, serum, leave-in, etc...), I find it can get sticky and can make it noticeably harder to detangle that area later.


If we are talking about just conditioner on dry hair for standard S&C purposes, I'd say, try both ways and see what you prefer. :)
Personally, I find I use *a lot* more conditioner if I apply it to dry hair (CWC style) vs. wet, but I don't typically notice any better conditioning from applying it on dry hair, actually.
As for oils, since I want them to sink in better before a wash, I prefer using them on dry hair in pre-poo treatments (regardless of whether or not I do an oil rinse between shampoo & conditioner or use any leave-in oil later).

ElisabethS
May 17th, 2017, 02:18 PM
i like to put my diluted conditioner on my dry hair. i can exactly tell when i have my scalp covered. i do this before i get into the shower. saves water and it seems to do a better job of cleaning. when i get in i wash myself first to give the conditioner some more time. then i add a little water to my head and foam everything up by massaging my scalp. works great for me :)

Jo Ann
May 17th, 2017, 08:01 PM
If you're trying to get a knot out, try a wee dab of oil (your choice--EVOO, coconut, whatever you prefer) or a serum--the knot should be much easier to get out.

I've only tried conditioner on dry hair if I'm swimming in a chlorinated pool--it does help to cut back on the dryness the chlorine can cause.

Alex Lou
May 17th, 2017, 09:43 PM
It makes my hair sticky. I use it on my dry hair at times as a gel substitute.

Borgessa
May 17th, 2017, 09:52 PM
If you're trying to get a knot out, try a wee dab of oil (your choice--EVOO, coconut, whatever you prefer) or a serum--the knot should be much easier to get out.

I've only tried conditioner on dry hair if I'm swimming in a chlorinated pool--it does help to cut back on the dryness the chlorine can cause.

I was gonna suggest oil might be a good idea myself.

Anje
May 18th, 2017, 06:20 AM
I've seen CO washers do it, though I felt it used way too much product.

For untangling a knot though, I agree that you'd be better off with oil or serum. Adding something water based like conditioner is likely to encourage hairs to swell and tighten it.

Aredhel
May 18th, 2017, 09:56 AM
I agree with the folks who advised you use a serum/oil instead. :) Whenever my hair or DH's super fine hair (he actually has the exact same hair type as you) is too tangled to even comb out, I use my OGX "oil" that contains cones and Argan oil, two of my hair's favourite ingredients. This really gives my hair a ton of slip and I can then comb out my tangles very easily. It works just as well on dry hair or wet. :)

lucid
May 18th, 2017, 12:28 PM
I find putting conditioner on wet hair is better as the water activates to product, making the knot slip out easier.

This is true for me as well. I removed my two dreads by wetting the end of the dread, applying conditioner, and use my fingers and a comb to untangle the hair, just a little at the time. And then I re-wetted the dread, only further up, applied conditioner, and so on.

Oils tangle my hair, so unless it was a coney serum with lots of slip, I wouldn't use that.

*Wednesday*
May 18th, 2017, 12:59 PM
I’m assuming “wet conditioner” means the conditioner which follows shampooing. I have seen one brand of conditioner which gives an alternative instruction for using the conditioner as a “leave in.” Mane n’ Tail for example has this alternative with their conditioner. Not sure if there is something in their formula which makes this workable. Why not try a product suited for hair as a “leave in conditioner” like Infusium for instance. The product is designed to be used after the hair is toweled dry then you style as usual. This of course if you feel your hair needs the extra conditioning from heat and styling.

BraidFreak
May 19th, 2017, 01:15 PM
I did this the other day with my silicone conditioner (Tresemme) and it didn't do much, like likelikepenny said water kind of activates it, well at least it feels to me like it does.

akurah
May 19th, 2017, 07:36 PM
Depends on what you're trying to do possibly. I find that if I over-oil my hair and i need to get it out, the only way to do so short of washing in Dawn dish detergent is to get a conditioner and coat still-dry hair in it. After letting the conditioner sit for 20-30 minutes (or more if I'm lazy), I then wash, oil comes out like normal, hair is no longer icky oily.